Our 2016 Summer in Indiana; Our Work Assignment and our Indiana Experiences

May 2016

So far, the month of May, in southern Indiana, has been an immense experience, with Terry’s family, in the Ohio River Valley. We’ve had some terrific family get-togethers in Madison, Seymour, Columbus, Indianapolis and the southern Indiana area. Regardless of lots of rain, we have been impervious to the weather and have filled our time with loads of exciting adventures.

After lots of time in the western states, visiting historical sites, and reading historical accounts, we were reminded that the Ohio River Valley was once the “western frontier”, called the Old Northwest Territory. The past month has been an extraordinary assessment of some familiar and some new historical interpretations. I enjoyed a recent documentary on the frontier days of Kentucky, focusing mainly on the explorations of Daniel Boone and friends. This led me to read accounts of others like Simon Kenton, James Harrod, George Rogers Clark, and other frontiersmen.

Another surprising experience was a weekend with Glen and Kim in Indianapolis. We took our RV rigs to the Indiana State Fairground and set-up a base-camp for the weekend. The Fairground Exhibition Center was hosting a classic-car auction and we just happened to be right in the middle of the event. We have NEVER seen so many classic cars and trucks going on the auction block. We learned this is another sub-culture of hobbyists, restorers, and collectors, coming together to share their passion for “road art” and classic vehicles.

Our weekend was very entertaining, exploring Indianapolis.

June 2016

Our two-month, (June and August) assignment at Monroe Lake, involves working about 20-hrs/week, at the campground Kiosk, checking campers in/out of the 227-site campground.

A unique weekend came about when we assisted the IDNR with the International Bowhunting Organization Tournament completion at Fairfax SRA. It was a huge and very successful event for the State of Indiana and the IDNR. 

Notes on Monroe Lake Staff;

IDNR Property Manager Jim

Mgr. Corey

Visitor Center Karen/Rex

Activity Center Sara(IU Senior)/Jill(Naturalist)Hannah(Naturalist)

Main Gate Gary/David

CG Gate Donna/Michael/Kenny/Lakota

Security Andrew/Danny

Our summer residence at Monroe Lake is surrounded by rural southern Indiana farmland, producing the usual corn, soybeans, hay, and cattle. The land consists of rolling hills with steep hollows, so the best farmland is in the creek and river bottoms. The forests are predominately hardwood consisting of beautiful stands of Oak, Poplar, Walnut, Hickory, Sycamore, Maple, Ash, Elm, Beech, Persimmon, Paw Paw (Indiana Banana), and Cottonwood, providing food and cover for abundant wildlife.

Commonly, the hills have outcroppings of layered limestone which is used in a variety of applications. Old and new limestone quarries dot the countryside and many have become dangerous swim-holes, claiming lives, from drownings. The Bedford limestone belt is a region of solid limestone, producing high quality building material, which has and is being used in residential, commercial, public buildings and commemorative monuments.

The summer days are very enjoyable and the park is busy with people appreciating the outdoors. The weather can be hot and humid, adding to the attraction of Monroe Lake, largest lake in Indiana.

Our town is Bloomington, Indiana, home of the Indiana University campus. It’s a very impressive campus with stately “Indiana limestone” buildings, beautiful landscaping and a legendary academic and sports “Hoosier” tradition. The campus also facilitates entertaining and educational programs for the enjoyment of the community.

I have been very engaged in studying the history of Indiana as part of the “early northwest territory”. The area is loaded with historical sites, prominent in the struggle for control of the territory by the French, British, Indian, and American frontiersmen and pioneers.

Our exploration-visits to these curious sites has been rewarding:

Bedford Limestone Plant and Quarry

Salem and Beck’s Mill

Fort Vilonia

Columbus

Nashville

Brownstown

Washington State Forest

July 2016

After completing our June assignment at Monroe Lake, we returned to Glen and Kim’s for the first two weeks of July, enjoying their company, shopping, and reconnoitering Seymour.

7-15-16

We moved to Madison City Campground, on the Ohio River, for two days, in order to attend and assist in Bill’s retirement party. It was an enormous success and the food, fellowship, and comradery were an exceptional circumstance of enjoyment. We met and talked with numerous campers on the river and enjoyed watching the river “go by”. Madison has taken advantage of their mile-long river frontage and created a gorgeous, shady, landscaped river-walk, from the campground to the West end of town. The bridge over to Kentucky has a lofty, exhilarating, and scenic walkway across the Ohio River, which is very popular with tourists and locals. I walked over early Sunday morning in a dense fog, and with very low visibility, found the experience quite stimulating, concentrating on my other senses.

7-17-16

Now, we’re heading off on an Indiana “Bicentennial tour”. We have selected a circuitous route which intersects the most important historic centers of the state.

First we visited (1808) Harrison County’s Corydon, Indiana’s first State Capital, situated between the White and Wabash Rivers. This old settlement is well preserved and the site of much early history of the Indiana Territory. Taking a walking-tour, we explored an astounding collection of buildings and sites from the pioneer days. My favorites were the William Henry Harrison cabin, the old Indiana Masonic Grand Lodge, the old State House, and the “Constitution Elm”. Using your imagination, one can almost envision the pioneer people going about their business in the old State Capital. I could just picture the Grand Lodge Masons, discussing the issues and plans, concerning their new state.  

Next, we visited Vincennes, in Knox County, the first Indiana Territorial Capital, with its George Rogers Clark Memorial and old Cathedral St. Frances Xavier, on the banks of the Wabash River. We had a good afternoon rain but we persevered in our touring activities. This 1732 town was settled by the French trappers and traders from Canada, taken by the British, and then taken by the Americans. It played a major role in the process of US claim to the old Northwest Territory, creating Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Just north, we encountered the (1809) “Ten O’clock Treaty Line, marking the southern line of the three-million-acre land acquisition negotiated with the Indians, by William Henry Harrison.

We traveled across huge agricultural farms of the Wabash Valley, verdant green forests, and through small, rural communities, with their churches, quick-stop/video stores, and bars. We picnicked at a small country church, under the shade of some large Maple trees, and enjoyed a quiet, restful lunch. Resuming our drive to Terre Haut, we observed large work-crews picking and loading melons in the fields.

Suddenly, a wide weather system approached from the northwest and the headwind rocked our rig and the ever-present corn and bean fields showed the underside of their leaves. Focusing on my driving, I noticed the battery alert Icon light on my instrument panel. With no noticeable problematic difficulty, we made it to O’Reilly Auto Parts in Terre Haute, where we diagnosed and replaced the voltage regulator. Just as I reinstalled the repaired alternator, a heavy rain came and we waited it out in town. Traveling from Vincennes, it’s obvious where Terre Haute got its name, as the town is on high ground, beside the Wabash River. Terre Haute, in Vigo County, is at the intersection of two major roadways: U.S. 40 from California to Maryland and US 41 from Copper Harbor, Michigan to Miami, Florida, so one can choose extreme destinations from here.

We drove around Terre Haute and visited the Masonic Temple, the Vigo County Courthouse, and Indiana State University.

The Classical Revival, Masonic Temple is governed by a Board selected from the six area Masonic Lodges. The building floors are used by the various area Blue Lodges and the York Rite Council, Chapter, and Commandery of Knights Templar.

The present Courthouse replaced the first, old brick building with the 1884 laying of the ten-thousand pound, Indiana limestone, corner-stone, by the freemasons. The architecture, landscaping, art, and furnishings of the elegant building are very impressive and pleasing to the eye.

Indiana State University’s main entrance, Fairbanks Hall and Dede Plaza are the focal points of campus and the landscaping is very impressive. The “Sycamores” have a long-range growth-plan for the University and because of the downtown location, development is spreading, and segmenting the campus. For example, the new football stadium is far from the current campus. With two other small colleges, Terre Haute certainly exhibits a college town persona.

Traveling on up the Wabash, we arrived at Lafayette, in Tippecanoe County, home of Purdue University, and obviously named for French General Lafayette, a significant aide to General George Washington and the Continental Army. Historic old Lafayette is situated on the east bank of the Wabash and Purdue University on the west bank. We made a late afternoon, early evening excursion around town and the Purdue campus. It was a very warm day but sundown and a light breeze brought a comfortable evening.

Purdue is a huge campus with much to see. Of course, we walked around the athletic complex and took a picture of Pete, the “Boilermaker”. My favorites were: old University Hall, Purdue Memorial Union, the Horticulture gardens, Cary Quad and Spitzer Court, and Purdue Pete the “Boilermaker”.

The old town, along the river, is an interesting collection of bars, restaurants, and shops, with the Tippecanoe County Courthouse as a centerpiece. The Courthouse is a stunning pastiche of architectural styles, the epitome of “county capitals”. Tippecanoe County’s name is derived from a Miami Indian term relating to “place of the fish-people”. The Tippecanoe River flows from Fort Wayne to its confluence with the Wabash, just upstream from Lafayette.

The “Battle of Tippecanoe” resulted in Governor William Henry Harrison’s army destroying Tecumseh’s headquarters, leading to the eventual defeat of Indian and British resistance, in the War of 1812. This (Tippecanoe) nickname was the source of the “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” slogan in Harrison’s presidential election of 1840. Unfortunately, William Henry Harrison died after serving only 32 days in office, the shortest Presidential service in US history. 

I really enjoyed seeing these historic places that I have read so much about!

It’s no surprise that so many historic sites would be found along the Wabash River, because it was a popular transportation route long before Europeans came on the scene. The Wabash takes it rise in Ohio and flows in a horseshoe or half-circle arc, across Indiana, to its confluence with the Ohio. Wabash is derived from an Indian word meaning “white”, undoubtedly related to the numerous white “sand bars” along the river banks.

Leaving Lafayette, we continued following the Wabash and crossed it several times on the route to Elkhart. At Delphi, we crossed the (1853) Wabash and Erie Canal, which connected the Great Lakes to the Ohio River at Evansville. Just north, we encountered the old Wilson Bridge, one of many historic bridges in Carroll County.

On US 31 in Fulton County, we discovered another curious and fascinating example of Indiana pioneer architecture, the “round Barn”. Round barns worked well for their purposes and they were easier and cheaper to build.  

At the confluence of the Eel and Wabash, in Logansport, we crossed the Wabash and Eel, heading north to Elkhart.

Logansport was settled circa 1826 and named for a half-Shawnee soldier named James Renick-Logan, better known as “Captain Logan” who served as a scout for U.S. forces in the surrounding area during the War of 1812. The entire block along the river is on the National Register of Historic Places. We should have explored a few hours in Logansport, however the mid-day heat was too oppressive.

We made it to Elkhart and setup at a very accommodating Elkhart RV Park, just in time for a refreshing rain storm. We plan to visit Notre Dame, Nexus RV Plant, and the RV Museum. We also resolved our truck alternator problem, thanks to O’Reilly Auto Parts.

The Notre Dame campus is under construction in every quarter, so it distracted from the views. Regardless, the experience of exploring around the famous campus was sensational. In the evening, it being summer break, the campus was quiet and almost deserted, so we toured at our leisure.

My favorites were the Basilica, Main Building-Golden Dome, Washington Hall on the Main Quadrangle (God Quad), St. Joseph Lake, St. Mary Lake, and of course, the Notre Dame Stadium, home of the "Fighting Irish". The stadium is undergoing MAJOR renovations. The Memorial Library was very impressive too. What a great treat, to see this historic old University!

Our visit to the NEXUS RV, factory-direct manufacturer in Elkhart, was a fascinating tour of how quality, custom, make-to-order RVs are manufactured for individual customers. You menu-order your options, the factory builds it, and you pick it up at the factory and drive away, realizing considerable savings. It was a cool tour!

The Elkhart RV/MH Hall of Fame and Museum is all about the development of the Recreational Vehicle and Motor Home Industry from WW I to present. If you like RV’s, this is an incredible collection of camper and memorabilia dating back to the 1920’s. Very entertaining, informative, and nostalgic!

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Today, we broke camp at Elkhart and traveled to Indianapolis. Along the way, we traveled a portion of the Indiana Heritage Trail, a scenic, back-roads drive that provides glimpses, tastes, and handicrafts, of Amish life.

We crossed the headwaters of the Tippecanoe River, between Etna Green and Mentone.

Etna Green, a small town in Kosciusko County, is a quaint little town and home to a small Amish community.

Attwood, an old railroad town, was situated on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne, and Chicago railway. They’re still waiting for another train to come in!

Mentone is the self-proclaimed "Egg Basket of the Midwest" because of prolific commercial egg production in the area, and holds an Egg Festival annually in early June, to celebrate its heritage. A large concrete egg stands near the town center and is considered locally to be the "Largest Egg in the World". Now that's a unique claim-to-fame!

At Akron, we had lunch and walked the old village for a stretch-of-the-legs.

Chili, pronounced Chil-lye by the Hoosiers, is located on the banks of the Eel River, and is a popular water-recreation spot. They have canoe rentals and a shuttle service. It was hot today and the river was busy with paddlers.

Via the Wabash and Ohio rivers, Eel River waters flow to the Mississippi River and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico. Before the United States consolidated its hold on the Northwest Territory, the Eel formed a rough boundary between the Potawatomi tribe on the north and the Miami tribe on the south. Additionally, it was an area of competition between French and British colonial forces for decades before the American Revolution. It was also the scene of some serious battles between the Americans and the Indians, who were allied with the British. It is a beautiful and historic waterway and we enjoyed encountering it again on our way south.

At Indianapolis, we setup a camp at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and explored around Indianapolis. It was appropriate to end our Indiana “Bicentennial ramble” at the Indiana State Capital. We visited around the artsy, picturesque, charming and bohemian neighborhoods, along Fall Creek, where one can find an assortment of fashionable, al fresco-dining, restaurants, bars, shops, and attractions. On Monday, we took a guided tour with Circle City Tours and enjoyed an enlightening, informative and historical tour of the city. My favorites were extensive;

·         Allison Mansion

·         Governor’s Mansion

·         Stokley Mansion

·         Indy Mortor Speedway

·         Lucas Oil Stadium

·         Indiana War Memorial

·         Downtown Indy

·         Scottish Rite Cathedral

·         The Eiteljorg Museum

·         White River Park

·         Indianapolis Zoo

·         Monument Circle

·         Indiana Central Canal

·         Indiana Cultural Trail

·         White River Gardens

·         Indiana State Capital

·         Indian State Museum

·         Indiana Convention Center

·         Indiana Repertory Theater

·         Christ Church Cathedral

·         NCAA Headquarters and Museum

·         American Legion Mall

·         Veterans Memorial Plaza

·         Victory Field

·         9-11 Memorial

·         Medal of Honor Memorial

·         IU/PUI

·         Butler University

Our favorites-list obviously touts the advantage of using a worthy professional tour service, maximizing time and tourist efforts. We like the overview tour-approach, followed by detail exploration of our favorites, on our own.

The Lilly and Allison Estate Gardens, along with several other projects, were designed and created by Jens Jensen. The architecture and landscaping around the city are stunning examples of the planning, designing, and construction of beautiful showplaces. An exceptional Capital City!

Indianapolis is a fine Capital City and loads of fun for tourists. We could revisit this city repeatedly, and still be excited to see it.

Some observations from around Indiana:

Like the American Elm, regardless of protection efforts, the Indiana Ash trees are becoming a thing of the past, as a result of the Emerald Ash Borer. We see dying and dead Ash trees everywhere we go in Indiana.

We were amazed at the huge agricultural production in the Wabash Valley. We observed the Melon harvest in progress and had to have a Vincennes melon.

We are very familiar with Robbins but have never heard the summer-singing repertoire that they’re performing in Indiana. In early morning and late evening, the woods are a symphony of “Robbin music”!

The Pioneer Village at Vigo County’s, Fowler Park is the most representative collection of authentic Pioneer log-cabins, and out-buildings that we’ve ever seen. Perusing the Pioneer Village is like going back in time. The park did a terrific job in locating, procuring, and moving these authentic structures to the park. If you like Pioneer Architecture, this is a must-see!

7-26-16

Concluding our “Indiana Bicentennial” tour, we arrived back at Seymour, to spend a few days with Glen and Kim, before we return to Monroe Lake’s, Paynetown SRA, for our August camp-host assignment. We’ll be working the Kiosk, an assignment that we’re very familiar with.